The present invention relates to improved compositions of chewing gum. More particularly, the invention relates to improving chewing gum by the use of specific bulking agents in sugar and non-sugar chewing gum products to give improved texture, moisture absorption properties, and improved shelf life properties. The improved chewing gum compositions may also be used in a variety of chewing gum products such as confectionery coated chewing gum products.
In recent years, efforts have been devoted to replace sugar and sugar syrups normally found in chewing gum with other carbohydrates and noncarbohydrates. Nonsugar or sugar-free chewing gum, which is growing in popularity, uses sugar alcohols or polyols to replace sugar and sugar syrups. The most popular polyols are sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. New polyols are being developed using new technology to replace these polyols. New polyols have various unique properties which can improve the taste, texture and shelf life properties of chewing gum for consumers.
The non-sugar polyols have the advantage of not contributing to dental caries of consumers, as well as being able to be consumed by diabetics. However, all polyols have the disadvantage of causing gastrointestinal disturbances if consumed in too great of a quantity. Therefore it would be a great advantage to be able to use a carbohydrate or carbohydrate-like food ingredient for chewing gum that would act as a bulking agent, but not contribute to dental caries nor cause as severe gastrointestinal disturbances.
One such bulking agent is called oligofructose, or inulin-oligosaccharides. Oligofructoses are oligosugars whose fructose units are bonded to each other, often with a glucose molecule attached at the end. Inulin or oligofructoses belong to the group of fructoses which are naturally occurring in 30,000 different plant species and which is, after starch, the most abundant non-structure (non-cellulosic) carbohydrate.
Inulin is the long chain oligofructose found in the plant species. After extraction, inulin may be hydrolyzed enzymatically to lower molecular weight carbohydrates, which are inulin oligosaccharides. Both the inulin and inulin-oligosaccharides are oligofructoses.
Oligofructose is similar to a larger group of materials known as fructooligosaccharides (FOS). The difference between FOS and oligofructose as used herein is that commercial FOS is made by enzymatically adding fructose molecules to a sucrose molecule to obtain FOS, whereas oligofructose is based on inulin from plants and includes inulin and inulin broken down or hydrolyzed to smaller oligofructoses. PCT application Ser. No. PCT/US91/07172 filed Sep. 30, 1991, published as PCT Publication No. WO92/08368, discloses the use of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in chewing gum.
Oligofructose bulking agent is not approved for use in human food products or in chewing gum in the United States, but has a pending GRAS status. In Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Japan, oligofructose is already considered a food stuff. Although a sugar, oligofructose may not contribute significantly to dental caries, contributes to dietary fiber, and does not significantly contribute to calories. Thus, this ingredient's use in chewing gum could be a definite improvement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,146 discloses a coupling sugar called oligoglucosyl fructose derived from other sugars.
Fructosyl oligomers and oligosaccharides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,751, EPO Patent Publication No. 0 301 628 and EPO Patent Publication No. 0 337 889.
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,674; 4,987,124; and 5,032,579 as a method and composition for inhibiting the growth of Salmonella. Fructooligosaccharides are also disclosed in EPO Patent Publication No. 0 397 027 as a method for killing pests.
Oligofructose type of fructose compounds were first disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,782,123. The bulk sweetener is obtained from Jerusalem artichoke tubers which contain significant amounts (5-20%) of inulin. Also disclosed is the inulin treated by acid hydrolysis.
PCT Publication No. WO91/13076 discloses branched fructo-oligosaccharides consisting of a chain of mainly fructose units with one or more side chains mainly composed of fructose units. The use of the branched fructo-oligosaccharides in chewing gum is disclosed.
EPO Publication No. 0 498 463 discloses a release-sustained composition for application to the oral cavity that includes oligofructose. The composition may also contain a high-intensity sweetener such as aspartame. It is further suggested that the composition may be used in chewing gum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,771 discloses a low caloric, low cariogenic sweetener comprising oligosaccharides having from 1 to 4 molecules of fructose bound to sucrose. The use of the sweetener in chewing gum is described. The patent is assigned to the Japanese firm of Meiji Seika Kaisha, who have joined forces with Coors Biotech, Inc. to manufacture and market a FOS product under the trade name NutraFlora.
Another company, Raffinerie Tirlemontoise SA, has developed an oligofructose from chicory root, which also contains about 5-20% inulin. The naturally occurring inulin is extracted from the root, purified, and dried. This product has the trade name Raftiline. A lower molecular weight material, called Raftilose, is made by enzymatic hydrolysis of Raftiline. These materials were described at a seminar given by IBC USA Conferences Inc. (International Business Communications) in Atlanta, Ga. on Mar. 13-14, 1991. Information on Raftilose and Raftiline from the seminar is presented in a manual available from IBC USA Conferences, Inc., 8 Pleasant St. Bldg. D, South Natick, Mass.